


Snapshots of a Delinquent Courting

by Fantasysci5



Category: The Magnificent Seven (2016)
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-03-06
Updated: 2017-03-23
Packaged: 2018-09-28 14:46:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,990
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10119497
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fantasysci5/pseuds/Fantasysci5
Summary: The first time Vasquez remembers seeing Faraday in detention is two months into their senior year.Or the detention AU.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Cambetaut](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cambetaut/gifts).



The first time Vasquez remembers seeing Faraday in detention is two months into their senior year. He vaguely recognizes him from one of their shared classes, but he's never really talked to him before. Vasquez is still relatively new, since he and his mother had moved into town last year to start over. He had kept to himself and stayed out of trouble, so as not to cause his mom anymore grief. However, old habits die hard and here he is. Faraday seems to be a regular too, if the way he makes a beeline for a specific chair in the back of the room and drapes himself over it is any indication.

Vasquez has been in detention often enough to have laid claim to his own seat, also in the back row a few desks over from Faraday's. 'Often enough' being the past straight week, with no end in sight. He knows he's damn lucky he didn't get arrested for the fight that landed him with the mandatory detentions for the rest of the school year. The other kid had landed in the emergency room. But it's only October for fuck's sake, and the hour seems longer and longer each day. Vasquez is already caught up on all of his homework and reading assignments, thanks to the detentions overseen by teachers that are sticklers for silence and doing homework...which is most of them. Thankfully today's teacher doesn't care what they do as long as they don't leave the room and aren't too loud.

Faraday is idly shuffling a pack of cards while eyeing him thoughtfully. Vasquez fidgets under the scrutiny until he finally snaps, "What?"

"Nothing. I'm just trying to figure out where I've seen you before. Not gym, I think I would have remembered that," Faraday says, raking his eyes up and down Vasquez's body blatantly. Vasquez chokes in surprise, but before he can think of a response Faraday is already moving on. "Algebra? No, that's not it." 

He finally snaps his fingers excitedly. "History! Third period, right?" Vasquez nods, still a bit shocked the other kid had hit on him so flippantly. Faraday holds up his deck of cards hopefully. "Wanna go a few rounds?" he asks without a trace of innuendo. Vasquez agrees, since it's not like he has anything better to do. He’d be lying if he said he wasn’t intrigued.

"I'm Josh by the way," Faraday introduces himself as he turns more fully towards Vasquez to start dealing out the cards.

"Vasquez." He chooses to tell him his last name, since he hates his first name and the bad memories associated with it. Thankfully the teachers at this school call everyone by their last name, so he's quite happy going by Vasquez. 

Josh scrunches up his face in concentration. "Vase-kaize," he tries to repeat, completely butchering it and making Vasquez wince in pain. Josh determinedly continues working the name in his mouth, stumbling over pronunciations and ignoring Vasquez's exasperated glare. 

"Vas...kest, Vascase, Vas...Vas, your name is Vas!" Josh finally says adamantly, throwing up his hands in frustration. 

Vasquez sighs. "Madre de Dios, I can tell you my first name idiota," he offers reluctantly. "Anything's got to be better than hearing you..." he starts, but is cut off immediately.

"Nope! Your name is Vas and I'm sticking to it. Vas!" Josh proclaims gleefully. Vasquez rolls his eyes but can't help the smile spreading across his face. 

"Damn it guero," he replies, more amused than angry. He glances at his cards and soon they're bickering good naturedly between hands. Josh delightedly tells him of his gambling ring at lunch, which had left him with heavy pockets filled with lunch money and today's detention. Josh never asks him for his own reason for being here (like every other kid who works up the nerve to talk to him), and his esteem for Josh rises. He has a wickedly sharp sense of humor that mirrors Vasquez's own, and gives as good as he gets. He's definitely not hard on the eyes either; with his messy hair, bright green eyes, and mischievous smirk. Josh hasn't shown any other interest in him since that first comment though, so Vasquez writes it off as being a part of his personality to flirt with anything that breathes.

The rest of the hour flies by in a blur of cards, nicknames, eye rolls, and smiles.


	2. Chapter 2

It's another week until he sees Josh in detention again. He's running late, and by the time he gets there both of their usual seats are already taken. There's more of a crowd than usual, everyone gravitating towards the back of the room since the teacher in charge today has a bad reputation. Josh is already there, a few rows closer to the front with his feet propped up in the empty seat in front of him. He waves Vasquez over when he sees him, throwing him a grin as he moves his feet. It's the only empty seat that isn't in the first few rows, and Vasquez gives him a thankful nod just as the teacher walks in.

He runs into Josh a lot since they met in detention. They both have seventh period English together, as well as third period history. Their assigned seats are on opposite sides of the room, but they stop and talk in between classes. That's how Vasquez had known Josh would be in detention today, apparently for cussing out a teacher quite colorfully. He's surprised how often they pass each other in the hallway, and he wonders if it's always been like this and he just never noticed. His eyes can't help but scan a crowd for Josh now, and he's tentatively started thinking of him as a friend.

Vasquez takes his seat, pulling out his homework with a sigh. This teacher is known for having a temper, giving out detentions even while in detention for talking or not doing homework. Vasquez is on thin ice as it is, so he can't afford anymore trouble. He resigns himself to being mind-numbingly bored for the next hour.

Ten minutes in, a crumbled up piece of paper hits the back of Vasquez's head and falls to the floor. He whips around, glaring in disbelief at Josh who just smiles back unrepentant. He points to the paper and mimes opening it. Vasquez rolls his eyes but dutifully maneuvers himself in his seat to pick it up. He smooths it out on his desk while checking to make sure the teacher hasn't seen anything. A scribbled _hey_ is in the top left corner of the notebook paper. Vasquez writes his response, folding it like a civilized human being and subtly turning in his chair to flick it onto Josh's desk.

 _You did not just throw this at my head like a five-year-old._ He tries to go back to doing his homework, but his concentration is shattered. He doesn't have to wait long before the note is tossed over his shoulder onto his desk, nearly sliding off. 

_No, I was aiming for your desk. I can't help it if your big head got in the way._ Vasquez can't stop the snort of amusement.

 _Guero, if you can't aim around my unmoving head, don't try out for any sports por favor._ He gives up on his homework completely, leaving it out on his desk for appearances sake. He hears Josh shift and then Josh's hand is barely brushing his shoulder as he drops the note over his shoulder and almost into his lap.

 _Oh, I finally looked up what "guero" means. Are you sure you're insulting me correctly?_ Vasquez glowers at Josh over his shoulder. He scratches out a response, wads it up into a ball, and throws it at Josh's face.

_Si._

When he doesn't get a response right away, he's a bit worried he may have come across too angry. He needn't have worried however, since Josh pokes him with a foot and hands him the note with a smirk once he turns around. _I wouldn't be able to try out for anything anyway. I'd miss at least half of the practices being in detention._

 _You can't aim, remember? You'd be on the bench anyway._ He hears Josh scoff behind him and grins wickedly. They go back and forth for the rest of the hour, jumping between topics easily and not doing any homework whatsoever. Josh continues to contort himself into truly ridiculous poses to pass the note, and after he almost falls out of his desk in the latest attempt Vasquez rolls his eyes in exasperation. 

_I think this is why they invented texting. Much easier to hide. Why aren't we doing that?_ Vasquez finishes passing the note and turns back to his homework just as the teacher starts to head their way. He's pretty sure they've been subtle enough not to be noticed, but he still holds his breath. Thankfully the teacher stops to scold a student a few desks over, and Vasquez pretends to be deep in thought over his homework. He sucks in a surprised breath when he feels Josh's hand brush past his elbow, close to his hip and at the same height as the desk. It sparks a warmth in his belly that uncurls slowly and leaves him a bit lightheaded and very aware of everything. His arm blocks the movement from any prying eyes, and he can't help but feel disappointed once it pulls back with the note safely delivered on his desk. He opens it with only slightly shaking fingers.

_But where's the fun in that?_

The bell rings to signal the end of the hour, and Vasquez takes a few deep breaths to calm himself. Josh is already moving, and as he sweeps by another piece of paper flutters down onto Vasquez's desk. He throws him a smile as he leaves, and Vasquez smiles down at the hastily scribbled phone number.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for all the support!! It means the world to me, and I hope you enjoy. <3


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the longer wait, but I hope the length makes up for it. :)
> 
> I had to make the characters' ages closer together so they could all be students. Special thanks to Cambetaut for beta reading for me and for being so supportive! Thank you again for reading!

Vasquez has always dreaded lunchtime. It was worse before he moved, but there's still a lingering dislike that he can't shake. There are a limited amount of tables that the entire student body descends upon like locusts, and it leaves a good third of the population at loose ends. There are long uncomfortable benches with no backs lined up near the front doors, and this is where most of the rest are forced to go. The ones that aren't part of a large group of friends. They sit and eat their lunches silently, ignoring the other outcasts sitting mere inches away. It's awkward and Vasquez refuses to sit there with all of the prying eyes. It's bad enough during classes, with the near constant suspicious and curious looks since the reason of his detentions has been kept under wraps. He refuses to be on display during his lunch hour as well.

Vasquez holes up in the lost and found room on the second floor. The hall monitors rarely bother to check inside on their prowl to make sure all students are in the lunchroom. It's boring sitting in a room waiting for the lunch hour to be up, but it's better than the alternative.

This is how Josh finds him one afternoon. Vasquez has a moment of mild panic as the door opens unexpectedly, but it dissipates as soon as he sees who it is. Josh doesn't seem to see him until he's closed the door. He jumps in surprise, but his shocked look melts into a warm smile when he realizes who it is.

"Hey Vas! What are you doing here?"

Vasquez shrugs, unwilling to go into detail about how he's basically hiding. Thankfully Josh never seems to mind when the conversation is steered back to him. "What are you doing here, guero?"

Josh gives him a wicked grin as he walks over to the boxes of lost and forgotten items stacked up all around the room. "Shopping."

"You're stealing from the lost and found?" Vasquez asks with a raised eyebrow as Josh takes out a pair of sunglasses and tries them on.

"It's not stealing...it's liberating. Don't you think they'd be claimed by now if they were missed? All the newly found stuff is kept in a separate room, anyway. Come on, you want to lose out on this necklace that totally brings out your eyes?" Josh playfully bats his eyelashes and tosses it to Vasquez. It's a simple black cord with a small silver medallion dangling off it. Vasquez rolls his eyes but dutifully pockets it almost unconsciously. 

It becomes a daily ritual, the both of them hanging out in the lost and found room during lunchtime. Josh occasionally pilfers through the items, but mostly he seems content to just sit with Vasquez and waste time until lunch is over. Having another person there helps time go by much faster, even with having nothing to do, they play cards or bicker about inconsequential things. 

Vasquez is listening to music one day when Josh comes in already climbing up the walls with boredom. He had been caught texting Vasquez in class and had his phone taken away until the end of the day, a fact which he is not happy about at all. He makes sure Vasquez knows how unhappy he is at great length, much to Vasquez's exasperation. This goes on a while until Vasquez finally offers him an earbud just to shut him up. There are token complaints about having to share the earbuds and Vasquez's taste in music, but he doesn't refuse then or the next time.

They're listening to a mutually agreeable band one day when Josh sits up straight and takes his earbud out. He cocks his head and seems to be listening intently to something. "Wha..." Josh's hand flies up to cover Vasquez's mouth mid-word. Not one to be silenced, Vasquez licks the inside of Josh's hand. Josh's face twists from alert to mock disgust as he wipes his hand on his dark red jacket and scowls at Vasquez. There's a smile just on the edge of it, and Vasquez grins back unapologetically just as the door to the room starts to open. 

"Oh shit!" Josh swears quietly, eyes large as saucers and Vasquez is convinced he'd start crawling under the table if he had time. A fellow student stands in the doorway with his hand still on the doorknob. Vasquez has seen him around occasionally but doesn't know him. Josh seems to know him though, greeting him with a huge fake smile.

"Sam!"

"Faraday," the other kid greets warily, one eyebrow up and looking unimpressed. He glances at Vasquez and then back to Josh.

"I don't suppose you can forget you saw us here?" Josh asks with one of his most charming grins.

"No, I can't just "forget"...I am a duly sworn hall monitor!" Sam replies, which sends Josh into a fit of laughter. The only thing keeping him upright is his hand on Vasquez's shoulder...not that Vasquez minds. Sam sighs in frustration as Josh tries to reign in his laughter. "Just...don't let me catch you again," Sam says as he leaves the room, shaking his head.

They migrate to a different room after that. It starts off with Vasquez the next lunch period, who chooses the band room on the third floor. It's set in an L shape, so the back half of the room is out of sight of the door. He's not too surprised when his phone buzzes a few minutes in with Josh asking what room they're going to try now. A text later and they're back to their usual routine, sequestered away from everyone for an hour.

Vasquez is honestly surprised when Sam finds them in this room a few days later. He had watched hall monitors check the rooms, knew that most of them only stuck their heads in and wouldn't bother walking all the way to the back. Sam rolls his eyes and puts his hands on his hips. "You two again?!" he says in exasperation. "Why aren't you in the lunchroom?"

Josh's face twists into a scowl. "Where? You know there's nowhere to sit unless you're part of a matching set!" He waves his hand dismissively when Sam looks like he's about to speak up. "And no way in hell do those painful benches count!" 

There's an uncomfortable silence, the look on Sam's face as he eyes Josh hard to place. He seems to be deep in thought, and finally says, "Come with me."

It's said with authority, and Vasquez is pretty sure they're not getting off this time. He glances over at Josh and is concerned to see all the color drain from his face. He's uncharacteristically silent during their trek to what Vasquez assumes is the principal's office. They make a turn that he's pretty sure takes them in the opposite direction of the office, and soon they're making their way through the crowded lunchroom. Thankfully no one pays them any mind, and they stop in front of a large round table that's only half full.

The redheaded girl at the table eyes them warily, but there's nothing hostile in her look. "More strays?" she asks Sam. He nods and then gestures for them to sit.

"Guys, this is Emma. Please just...sit here, okay? Stop causing me trouble. Emma, this is Faraday and Vasquez." Sam nods at all of them and then leaves, presumably to go back to his duties.

Vasquez has never been a social butterfly. Josh is one of the few people he's ever gotten along with, so being stuck at a table surrounded by strangers is a bit unsettling. Looking over at Josh however, he doesn't mind so much. He's lost that hunted look and seems more at ease, like his default state usually is. 

There are three other people sitting at the table besides Emma, subtly eyeing the newcomers. A tray loaded with food plops down onto the table, and a fourth person sinks into the seat across from them. He has prematurely greying hair and is looking at them with open curiosity. "I see we have visitors!" he says brightly.

"That's Goodnight and Billy," Emma introduces, pointing at the guy who just sat down and the one in the seat next to him. Goodnight gives them a cheerful wave then steals the muffin in Billy's hand that's halfway to his mouth. Billy glares at him, then turns and inclines his head a fraction. "That's Teddy, and this is Matthew." Teddy nods his head eagerly and Matthew gives them a subdued smile. "This is Faraday and Vasquez."

"Josh is fine. Don't know why Sam insists on sticking to my last name. It's not like we haven't known each other forever." Josh grins and the tension at the table bleeds out. Vasquez was afraid it would continue to be awkward, but the group easily adjusts to the new additions. The conversation flows without hesitation, making sure to include both of them. Vasquez prefers to stay mostly silent, comfortable to just watch the group dynamic much like Billy does. Josh takes to Goodnight immediately, their personalities sparking off each other in a highly amusing way. There is a strong feeling of camaraderie between them all, and Vasquez can't help but think it's all too good to be true. What if this is only a one time thing, just for today?

Emma answers his question unknowingly once the bell rings. They all start packing up, when she offhandedly remarks, "See you all tomorrow!" She makes eye contact with both of them with a small smile, inclining her head. Letting them know they're welcome without pressuring them.

Next time finds them back at the table, and soon it becomes their new routine. Vasquez thinks Emma and Matthew are dating, if the way they make eyes at each other and play footsie is any indication. He's pretty sure Goodnight and Billy are too, but they're much more subtle about it. Sam joins them most of the time, since he only has to patrol two days a week. Apparently Goodnight and Billy had been found by Sam as well, smoking behind a dumpster during lunch. Instead of turning them in, he had brought them to the table as well.

Sam seems to have a soft spot for strays, since he comes to the table with another one in tow. The new guy seems a lot older than all of them, and Vasquez has to elbow Josh hard in the ribs to stop him from making a comment about how many grades he had been kept back. Josh's resulting pout supports Vasquez's theory of just what would have come out of his mouth.

As more and more people join their ragtag little family, the small round table gets more and more crowded. The seats are crammed together to make room for each new addition, first Horne and then later Red. By the time all ten of them are sitting at the table, there's barely any elbow room, but Vasquez doesn't regret joining them. Not when he feels so comfortable around his new group of friends, and Josh is pressed firmly against his whole side.

They're all jammed together one day, laughing hysterically at something Goodnight said. As soon as they start to calm down someone starts cracking up again which sends the whole table back into bouts of giggling. Even Billy is smiling.

Vasquez can feel people coming up behind him, and he automatically sits up straighter. Josh goes still by his side but otherwise doesn't react, and Goodnight's face has become a bland mask where he looks up at the newcomers behind Vasquez's shoulder.

"Can I help you?" It's Sam who takes the lead, in that even tone of his. Vasquez risks a glance back and sees four guys towering over them, not looking happy at all. The hairs on the back of Vasquez's neck stand up, but for once it doesn't look like it's aimed at him. The guy in front is scowling at Sam, but one of the other guys is glaring daggers at Josh and Josh meets his look head on. The leader of the group seems determined to start a fight with Sam for turning him in on his last patrol, even with Sam trying to diffuse the situation. Vasquez isn't too worried though, it would be four against ten. Just because Emma is a girl didn't mean she couldn't punch like the rest of them.

As the minutes tick by and threats are hurled, Josh seems to get more and more amped up, practically vibrating next to him. He'll never understand Josh's love for fighting. He himself has always dreaded it, only taking part when his temper snaps at the end of his long fuse of patience. Josh seems to revel in it though, and when the threats start to become physical as one of the guys shove Horne in the back, Josh throws Vasquez a wild grin before he's up and out of his chair and punching the guy who's been eyeing him this whole time. Chairs scrape against the floor as everyone leaps to their feet. It barely gets any traction before teachers are there breaking it up, and no one is seriously injured. Josh's nose is bleeding but his huge smile doesn't diminish even when they all get detention for fighting.

Vasquez can't help but think getting involved with the group was worth it, even though he's in even more trouble than he already was for getting into another fight. Sitting in the back row of detention with all of his friends, he glances over at them all as they grumble with varying degrees of injury. He has friends, good friends, more than he's ever had. His eyes land on Josh who grins back brilliantly, bouncing in his chair still high on the adrenaline rush even hours later. It was worth it.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! <3 This is the first fanfiction I've written in 10 years. It's short, but I figure baby steps. I'm happy with the way it came out, and I have five other snapshots planned.
> 
> Huge thanks to Cambetaut, who was so supportive and encouraging even when I felt like giving up.


End file.
